back to article Microsoft tempted to hit the gas as renewables can't keep up with AI

Microsoft says there is plenty of wind and solar to power datacenters in the US, but it is still eyeing natural gas generation as it juggles the growing energy needs of AI with its own net-zero commitments. The Redmond tech biz has continued to pour investment into scaling up its infrastructure to support AI. President Brad …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Eh screw it. Didn't need Florida anyway.

  2. Blue Pumpkin

    Just harness Centralia

    It's been burning since 1962 and could apparently continue for another 250 years ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Just harness Centralia

      burning since 1962 and could apparently continue for another 250 years

      this is actually a good idea. get a boiler or gas turbine going on the exhaust end, then force some air flow into it and voila!

    2. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

      Re: Just harness Centralia

      The actually wanted to do this in Warwickshire, UK.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-23705384

      .. and yes Coal Field Underground Gasification *is* a thing.

      The bastard Coal cousin of Fracking.

      Adjacent to Draycote Reservoir … but pah .. who needs clean water.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There's a part of me wants to see a Microsoft AI data center powered from the energy in a mountain of steaming horse- pig- and cow-shit. It seems somehow appropriate.

    1. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

      Bartertown ?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wait...

    so to be clear... they need to continue to wreck the environment we live in... so they can shoehorn the AI nobody wants... into everything?

    1. IGotOut Silver badge

      Re: Wait...

      Yes ...but money, sweet, sweet money.

    2. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Megaphone

      Re: Wait...

      Why can't people JUST ADMIT that the entire CO2-based climate change concept is JUST a HOAX aimed at advancing "the solution" which is YOU losing MORE of YOUR EARNINGS and FREEDOM to an ever-BLOATING world-wide SOCIALIST "elite-ocracy" where a handful of ELITISTS get to fly, own nice things, and live in nice houses, while the REST of us "peasants" must "decline"...???

      SCREW "renewables" and those CCP-CHINA-ENRICHING solar panels and wind turbines!!! Build OIL, COAL, GAS, and NUCLEAR plants that STILL WORK on cloudy and windless days, and AT NIGHT!!!

      1. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

        Re: Wait...

        Did you miss your meds this morning ?

      2. Cliffwilliams44 Silver badge

        Re: Wait...

        It's the rebirth of feudalism! (Without the fancy clothes).

        Marxism, in all it's false compassion, is just a re-branding of feudalism with different people in charge!

        In feudalism you had the Nobility, which owned everything and told everyone else what to do. In Marxism you have the Party Elites.

        In feudalism you had the trade guilds, church, and militarizes,Controlled and sponsored by the Nobility, in Marxism you have the Technocracy, the military, Controlled by the Party Elites.

        In Feudalism you had the surfs, owned and worked for a meager existence through fear by the Nobility, in Marxism you have the proletariat kept poor by regulations and fear, forced to work for a meager existence through fear.

        1. Wang Cores

          Re: Wait...

          Seriously? Elon I of House Musk exists, and is tearing down your own Social Security. We need to clean up our own house first.

          Although judging by your spelling of "surf" you might just be a Russian crier.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Wait...

        @Bob Hoax:You can make sure this planet burns quicker, just don't delude yourself that the drill-baby-drill elite will improve your existence in any way.

  5. IGotOut Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Can we just burn...

    ...the tech bros and US government (both sides).

    Pretty sure it'll be more beneficial to humanity than anything they can conceive.

    1. Wang Cores

      Re: Can we just burn...

      "A republic if you can keep it."

  6. MiguelC Silver badge
    Terminator

    "AI's benefits will outweigh its environmental impact"

    We'll all probably die, but AI will thrive from then on

  7. FuzzyTheBear
    Mushroom

    And here we go again ..

    Trump is axing every green energy project then people complain there's a lack of green energy ..

    Vote for someone intelligent next time .. until then drill baby drill ..

  8. spyker007

    Go knock the correct door...

    Why doesn't Greta Thunberg et al. go to Bill Gates, MS, Google, Meta, OpenAI and their relatives and affiliates to protest on using fossil fuel? They are the ones who need the gigawatts for AI, and the billions to pay for it, no matter what powers it.

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